We break down the fiber internet provider’s services and how it stacks up to the competition.
MetroNet
Price: $39.95–$59.95/mo.
Internet speed: 100 Mbps–1,000 Mbps
Data cap: Unlimited
MetroNet has a lot of the upsides and downsides you’d expect from a regional internet provider. MetroNet has average prices for a fiber internet service provider (ISP) and inconsistent availability, but at the end of the day, it’s still offering full-fledged fiber internet. Fiber internet offers the best transfer speeds, and it’s faster than cable or DSL internet.
If MetroNet’s plans fit into your budget and you’re in a city with MetroNet coverage, it’s worth considering the fiber ISP’s internet plans.
| Package | Price |
Download and upload speed up to |
Data cap | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 100 Mbps | $39.95/mo.* | 100 Mbps | Unlimited | View plans |
| 500 Mbps | $49.95/mo.‡ | 500 Mbps | Unlimited | View plans |
| 1 Gbps | $59.95/mo.† | 1,000 Mbps | Unlimited | View plans |
| Ultimate + WholeHome WiFi 1 gig | $69.95/mo.** | 1,000 Mbps | Unlimited | View plans |
Data effective as of publish date. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.
* For 12 mos. 100 Mbps is $49.95/mo. after. 500 Mbps is $59.95/mo. after.
‡ For 12 months. Offers are available to new residential customers only and may not be combined with other offers. MetroNet reserves the right to revoke or modify offers at any time. Taxes, fees, and other terms apply. Pricing and speeds are not available in all areas.
† For 6 mos. On month 7, rate increases to $69.95/mo. From month 18, rate increases to $89.95/mo.
** 24-month price guarantee on internet & 12-month price guarantee on WholeHome WiFi
MetroNet’s packages are reasonably priced and offer great value for a fiber internet provider. We always recommend getting fiber internet if it’s in your neighborhood because you get best-in-class upload and download speeds compared to cable or DSL internet.
While MetroNet offered straightforward standard rates for a while, it recently started offering promotional prices. Never fear—this is an actual discount, not a ploy to charge you more. The ongoing rates are exactly the same as MetroNet’s old prices—and even those are pretty competitive.
MetroNet’s standard prices are comparable to fiber plans from internet providers like Verizon Fios ($89.99 monthly for 940 Mbps versus MetroNet’s $89.95 monthly) and AT&T ($65.00 monthly for 500 Mbps versus $69.95 monthly with MetroNet).
We’re huge fans of MetroNet’s no-contract agreements, included Wi-Fi router, and its lack of a data cap. With MetroNet, you won’t have to deal with early termination fees or data overage charges from downloading too many games for the month.
We’d recommend MetroNet’s 100 Mbps internet plan for most customers. With 100 Mbps download and upload speeds, you’ll have enough bandwidth for lengthy Netflix sessions or regular Facetime sessions at a reasonable price. If you need more bandwidth for your household, MetroNet’s 500 Mbps plan is a solid upgrade for an additional $10 per month.
| Package | Price | Channel count | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic Fiber TV | $75.00/mo. | 90+ | View plans |
| Standard Fiber TV | $150.00/mo. | 170+ | View plans |
| Preferred Fiber TV | $250.00/mo. | 210+ | View plans |
Data effective as of publish date. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.
Unless you’re really opposed to having separate TV and internet providers or consider fiber TV’s improved picture quality a must-have, we’d recommend avoiding MetroNet’s TV packages. MetroNet doesn’t offer TV by itself, and you’ll be paying much more with MetroNet compared to other TV providers.
While MetroNet’s channel counts don’t look bad on paper, the provider’s lineups are padded with music channels, and Basic Fiber TV includes only local networks like ABC. You can get these channels for free by purchasing an antenna for your TV.
To get any meaningful cable channels, you’ll need to upgrade to Standard Fiber TV ($150.00 monthly) or Preferred Fiber TV ($250.00 monthly). Plus, Preferred Fiber TV doesn’t include premium cable channels like HBO® or SHOWTIME®. You’ll have to add channel packs to your plan ($7.18–$15.00 monthly) to get any of these networks.
With other TV providers, a basic cable package typically averages around $60.00 monthly, and premium cable packages start at around $100.00 monthly. Having to break the $100.00 mark to get any real cable channels in MetroNet’s packages is a tough pill to swallow.
Once you include equipment fees ($7.95 monthly for an HD set-top box) and a mandatory internet plan, the costs will quickly add up.
| Package | Price |
Download and upload speed up to |
Channel count | Phone plan | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Basic Fiber TV + 100 Mbps | $144.95/mo.* | 100 Mbps | 90+ | Add $9.95/mo. | View plans |
| Standard Fiber TV + 500 Mbps | $199.95/mo.‡ | 500 Mbps | 170+ | Add $9.95/mo. | View plans |
| Preferred Fiber TV + 1 Gbps | $309.95/mo.† | 1,000 Mbps | 210+ | Add $9.95/mo. | View plans |
Data effective as of publish date. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.
* For 12 mos. 100 Mbps increases from $39.95/mo. to $49.95/mo. after. 500 Mbps increases from $49.95/mo. to $69.95/mo. after.
‡ For 12 months. Offers are available to new residential customers only and may not be combined with other offers. MetroNet reserves the right to revoke or modify offers at any time. Taxes, fees, and other terms apply. Pricing and speeds are not available in all areas.
† For 6 mos. On month 7, internet rate increases from $59.95/mo. to $69.95/mo. From month 18, rate increases to $89.95/mo.
MetroNet doesn’t sell its TV coverage as a standalone service, so you’ll have to bundle it with an internet plan, and you won’t see any monthly discount by combining services. Some other regional competitors may offer monthly discounts of around $5.00 when you bundle multiple services.
MetroNet also offers landline phone service for $9.95 per month.
MetroNet’s biggest downside is its spotty availability. The ISP technically operates in nine states throughout the Midwest, but MetroNet’s network is still a major work in progress and likely won’t be available in your area.
For example, MetroNet has a decent footprint in Illinois and Indiana, but when you go one state up to Michigan, your MetroNet options are limited to one city. To MetroNet’s credit, the ISP regularly posts construction updates as it builds out its fiber network. But like with most fiber ISPs, MetroNet’s availability will vary heavily from state to state.
MetroNet’s most notable fee is its $9.95 monthly Technology Service Fee. It isn’t a big hurdle for subscribers, but it’s still not great.
According to MetroNet, the mandatory fee ensures that you won’t be charged if your MetroNet equipment fails or if you need a technician at your home. As nice as it might sound, a fee is still a fee, and we’re sure most subscribers would rather pay a one-time fee (or nothing at all!) instead of paying a permanent monthly charge just in case their MetroNet hardware has problems.
MetroNet doesn’t have the lowest prices for a fiber ISP or great TV packages, but ultimately, it’s still offering a pure fiber internet network, and that’s something that few ISPs have. With fiber internet, you’ll have fast upload and download speeds along with high service reliability.
If you aren’t satisfied with less reliable cable or DSL internet, and MetroNet is the only fiber option in your neighborhood, the ISP can still be an excellent home internet option.
Yes, MetroNet fiber internet is a good internet option if it’s in your area. Although it doesn’t have the cheapest fiber internet plans, you’ll still get fiber internet features like equal download and upload speeds.
MetroNet’s fiber internet plans are better than Spectrum because Spectrum is a cable internet provider and won’t have fiber internet upload speeds. But Spectrum’s TV plans offer better value compared to MetroNet.
MetroNet is a fiber internet provider.
MetroNet is better than CenturyLink’s DSL plans since it’s a fiber internet provider. But CenturyLink’s fiber internet plans are more affordable than MetroNet’s fiber plans.
No, MetroNet includes a wireless router. But its mandatory Technology Service Fee costs $9.95 monthly to maintain your equipment. Huh—that sounds like a router fee to us, MetroNet.
We spent several hours researching MetroNet’s plans and services, then comparing them to other major fiber internet providers. We also looked at hidden fees, sign-up perks, and equipment.
For more information about our methodologies, feel free to peruse our How We Rank page.
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